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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | February 2007 
Mexico Vows to Improve Migrant's Treatment
 Lisa J. Adams - Associated Press
| | Cecilia Romero Castillo |
Mexico's head of migration on Tuesday pledged to improve the agency's detention centers in response to criticism that Mexico fails to give Central American immigrants the same respect it demands for its own citizens in the United States.
Cecilia Romero Castillo, who said many of Mexico's 48 detention centers lack adequate personnel, supplies, medical care and social services, announced a plan to install doctor's offices in 16 centers, upgrade facilities and improve staff training.
Romero also said the agency will no longer use jails as detention centers and will fire any supervisor found violating the rules.
The Mexican government has acknowledged that many officials are bribed by human smugglers. Migrants face abuse from corrupt police as well as violent gangs who wait on the southern border to rob and assault them.
The government-funded National Human Rights Commission, U.N. human rights officials and other non-governmental organizations say they have documented abuses.
The migration department's plan aims "to entirely eliminate this terrible situation," Romero told a news conference.
Answering U.S. concerns, President Felipe Calderon also has promised to strengthen security on Mexico's southern border to stop the tide of illegal migrants — the majority of whom use Mexico as a way station to the United States — and crack down on criminals, especially drug traffickers.
In January, Mexico detained more than 10,000 illegal migrants, and expects that number to increase to 205,000 by the end of the year, according to a report by the migration department.
In 2006, Mexico detained 182,705 illegal migrants, the majority of them Central Americans, the report said. |
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